Automatic lubricating device for bolts and latches



July 14, 192s. l 1,546,303-

G. MENH'ERv AUTOMATIC LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR BOLTS AND LATCHES Filed 'April 14, 1924 Patented July 14, 1925.

Utf'llED STATES GASTON MIENIER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

AUTOMATIC LUBRICATING DEVCE FOR BOLTS AND LATCHES.

Application tiled April 14, 1924.

To @ZZ cti/rom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Gns'roN MnNinR, a citizen oit the French Republic, residing at Faris, France, 5G Rue de Chateauc'iun, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Lubricating Devices tor Bolts and Latches, oit which the following is a` specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in or modification ot the automatic lubricating devices tor locks and bolts as claimed in the specification of Letters Patent No. 1,265,351.

The automatic lubricating devices tor locks and bolts described in the specification oi .Patent No. l,265,3l necessitate the provision oit holes either in the catch plate or in the door traine, to which the latter is attached, in order to enable the said lubricating devices to be mounted in position. ln an improvement in such lubricating devices it has been suggested to provide a particular shape ot bolt or catch in which is provided a lubricating cup closed by a pad ot' suitable material.

The present invention has tor its sub- `iect an improvement enabling the automatic lubricating device to be applied to any type ot lock, tor which purpose it is unnecessary to inodit'y the bolt or catch or the catch plate in any respect, the setting ot the lubricating device being ellecte'd by hand without the use of tools.

(lne ot the essential features of the present invention resides in the use ot' a resilient member, provided with a material capable oi retaining a lubricatingl substance, adapted to torni the lubricating device, the said member being held in the interior of the catch plate between two opposite walls ot the latter, by means of its resiliency. The member may be formed either o't' a metal wire, which is twisted or not, which serves to support textile libres, or ot a woven cylinder, more or less rigid, with a resilient inner portion, or by any other similar device oi suitable resiliency and capable ot supporting the greasy substance adapted to eltect the lubrication ot the catch or bolt.

ln the accompanying drawing are illustinted diagramniatically by way ot example two toi-ms ol construction ot the invention.

Figure l is an elevation ot a catch plate provided with a lubricating device;

Figure 2 is a Jfront view ot the saine catch plate partly broken away;

Serial No. 706,595.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section on the Figure G is a view similar to Figure 4.

showing the application of the invention to anotl er type of open catch plate.

In the drawings and in the description of the invention whichl follows it is assumed, Yfor the sake ot' clearness, that the lubricating device consists of a support formed of two metal wires l and 2 which are twisted together and support threads 3 of' linen or cotton (or strips of linen, cotton, felt or the like). It will however be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular torni of construction and that the lubricating 4device may be constructed in any other suitable manner as hereinbefore set out.

Thus t'or example it is possible to vuse a twisted wick of linen or cotton with a metal interior forming a spring. The lubricating device may be flat, or of circular, triangular, or other suitable cross section. lt may be formed by a metal wire coiled in the torni of a helix and supporting the material soaked in a greasy substance.

ln the example illustrated in Figures l to 3 the lubricating device is held by its own resiliency between the top 4 and the bottom 5 otl the catch plate. For this purpose the lubricating device is cut to a length slightly larger than the distance between the two walls 4 and 5. The lubricating device is inserted into the catch plate through a hole in the latter by being slightly bent. It is then released and will take up its position by reason of its springiness and will thus ,be held between the top and bottoni of the catch plate. Care must ot course be taken that the lubricating 'device has an external diameter somewhat less than the internal dimensions oit the catch plate. It can then move in the interior ot' the catch plate so as to yield when the bolt or catch engages with the latter when the door is closed and by reason of its springiness it will return to its normal position when the door is opened. lt will be seen that it the lubricating device is soaked in any suitable lubricating substance, the bolt or catch will contact therewith whenever the door is closed so that the bolt or catch will thus be lubricated and its beveled portion will retain a thin layer of lubricating material which suffices to ensure the easy closing of the door.

When the .invention is applied to a catch plate which is'not provided with flanges, such as for example two open catch plates,

the lubricating device cannot' be retained inposition by its own springiness between the opposite walls of the cat'ch plate. ln such a case the lubricating device is extended to one side (when the catch plate is provided withl a single fixing plate as shown inlliigures l and 5), or at both ends (when the catch plate has two fixingplates as shown in Figure 6) by means of a thin metal plate 6` provided with holes of which the diameter and position corresponds with that of the yholes inl theiixing plate of the catch plate. The lubricating device will thus-'be held in position' by thesame screws by which the catch plate is secured and it is thus possible to mount it in position without modifying the catch plate itself.V ln such arrangements the lubricating device, instead of being substantially straight as shown in the example of Figures 1 to', is preferably suitably bent towards the interior of the catch plate.

Having. 'thusfdescribed my invention what I claim .as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is 1. An automatic lubricating device for flock bolts andthe like, comprising, a re- .silrient core, and'lubricant absorbing mate- 35 rial carried by the core.

2. Anl automatic lubricating device according to claim 1, said core being formed of twisted resilient wires, and said material being in the form of tufts held between the twists of the wires.

3. An automatic lubricating device according to claim 1, in combination with a catch plate, saidv core being slightly longer than one dimension of the notch plate with which used, the lubricating device "being sprung into'the catch plate, and resiliently held therein by lthe friction of its ends against opposite walls' of the catch plate.

Il. An automatic -lubricating device 'according to claim 1, said core. being formed of twisted resilient wires, and said material being in the form of tufts hel-d between'the twists of` the wires, in combination with a catch plate, said core being'slightly longer than one dimension of the catch plate with which used, the lubricating device being vsprung into the catch plate, and resilient-ly held I therein by the friction of vits ends against opposite walls of the catch plate.

5. ln a lubricating device, in combination, a catch plate, and a Aresilient lubricating member wholly separate from vthe catch plate and positioned within :the same, the lubricating member being sprung into contact with walls of the catch plate, and heldwithin the catch platev by friction.

ln testimony whereofl have signed niy name to this specification.

GASTON MENTIER.

lll) 

